Point: Counterpoint

Remaining Credible

International Educators Require International Experience

By Laila S. Dahan

Those of us in the field of international education who work in the U.S. have become so accustomed to being on the receiving end of international exchange and the farewell end of our U.S. students going abroad that we may forget how our own experiences of living abroad have affected us. Unfortunately, since becoming international educators, it is rare for most of us to travel abroad for more than site visits or vacations.

Presented with what I can only call a truly golden opportunity to live abroad again, I have taken a leave of absence from my position in the U.S. as a director of international affairs to be with my husband who is teaching at the American Univ. of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Now that I am here, I am reveling again in the chance to hear new languages, visit new places, and meet new people. In some ways it can be seen as a renewal of my "internationalism." Once again, I am part of another world--which forces me to think differently and gives my entire being a sense of renewal.

The adjustment to living in another culture or country is never easy. Even when we are comfortable with the language and familiar with the cultural norms, there will always be bureaucratic issues that can infuriate anybody. Simple everyday matters at home can appear to be monumentally difficult tasks elsewhere in the world. But whatever the problems encountered while living abroad, the benefits far outweigh the minor inconveniences. After preparing my students to deal with unexpected differences and difficulties, I am now experiencing them myself.

Many students at the American Univ. of Sharjah, including some of my husband's, are planning to transfer to U.S. institutions. Now I see from their end what it takes to get admitted, receive an I-20, and deal with the U.S. embassy or consulate. The UAE is a nation filled with expatriates, and this creates a wonderfully international environment for all of us living here.

Having described the personal gains I have received from this international experience, I want to emphasize how important it is for all international educators to do something similar and suggest how this might be accomplished.

Living Abroad Is Essential

First, from what I have said about my own experience, one can see why this is an important part of our jobs. How else can we, as international educators, at the very heart of our institution's international endeavors, succeed in our positions without spending time abroad--and not just at conferences or vacationing. We need to actually live and, if possible, work abroad. Many of our counterparts around the globe do have this opportunity. As I have gone about setting up academic exchanges I have often discovered that universities consider administrators an integral part of the exchange agreement and are thus included, along with faculty and students, among those eligible to take part in the program. We must make an effort on our part to see that more U.S. institutions give this important opportunity to their international educators.

One way to begin is simply to emphasize how important it is for us to travel to our sites to work with our counterparts. We should live in these locations for an extended period, with our international counterpart if at all feasible; if not, in a homestay. In short, we must find ways to integrate ourselves into the culture and move away from "periphery" visits.

As administrators, some of us work on a contractual basis. This could be another avenue to use in negotiating an annual international experience--by having it written into the contract.

The idea of sabbaticals for administrators has been discussed in some institutions. The sabbaticals would be an excellent opportunity for international educators to reside abroad and thus recapture many of those lost international insights, survival skills, and foreign languages.

Upon our return it would be extremely important to present a thorough report to our schools' presidents and the administration. The report would show the real need for these international sojourns, as opposed to junkets. The report could also be used as a recruiting tool for getting our students to pursue a study abroad experience at a particular site.

As international education continues to play a larger role in higher education college and university officials will be expected to see to it that their representatives maintain their international credentials. The tangible gains that a regular international living experience would provide international educators cannot be overstated. Not only will it help us reconnect with the world, it will also give us more credibility with our students, our colleagues, and our overseas counterparts.

LAILA S. DAHAN is Director of International Affairs at Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA. She is currently living in Sharjah, UAE.